SOLVING THE IMPOSSIBLE

It is surprising what a small key it takes to unlock a lifetime of bondage. It was the spring of 1974, and I thought I had come to the end of my rope. All of my endeavors seemed to end in failure. I was continually haunted by my own insecurity.

My relationship with my father had never been good. The lack of openly displayed love and affection and a heritage of over expectation and criticism of underperformance had been in our family for several generations. The criticism only fueled the insecurities in my life.

I was born the second son in a farming family from northwestern Oklahoma. Throughout my childhood my father had continually questioned why I couldn't be more like my brother. We both tested near genius level on an IQ test, yet he excelled as I kept failing. I would finish homework assignments, but I wouldn't turn them in for fear that I hadn't done as well as my older brother. This began a pattern of underachievement which plagued me for the next 20 some years.

In the fall of 1970 I came home from college and attended a Lay Witness Mission. That Saturday evening I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. WOW, did I feel great! I was no longer afraid of dying and going to hell. My parents and sister also received Jesus the same weekend as I did. The following summer I asked Jesus to baptize me with the Holy Spirit. This provided a new power to witness and confidence in my salvation. However, I still dealt regularly with the problems of insecurity which affected my academic career and my job performance.

My romantic life had never been great. I only dated one girl during high school, so I asked God to show me who He had chosen to be my mate because I was not confident in my own decisions.

On July 15, 1972 I married more than the girl of my dreams. The Bible says God can do more than we can ask or imagine. I found this to be true when he supernaturally arranged my marriage to Patti.

I now know that Jesus paid the price for my total salvation. If I had known this in 1970 when I accepted Jesus Christ, I could have received my emotional and mental freedom then. Sadly, what you don't know can hurt you.

My father had received the key to unlock the bondage in my life while ministering to a friend of his who had two sons similar to my older brother and me. Surprisingly, my father had realized that he was part of my problem. Dad simply said, "Alan, you have been deceived. Forgive me." This was the first time I ever heard my father apologize to anyone. The impact of his repentance and my forgiveness destroyed the bondage that Satan had utilized to control my life for over 22 years; however, I did not know how to be free. It’s one thing to recover something that you have lost, but quite another to enjoy something you have never had. I knew that I needed to do something, so I began to do the things I had been afraid of or had failed at previously.

In the mid 1970s I joined Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship (FGBMF), and at about the same time, my wife and I started conducting summer youth camps. What an adventure! We did this for the next ten years. As we began to phase out of youth camp, I became involved in coordinating FGBMF men's advances and conventions in our state. What a step from an insecure young man to leading businessmen's meetings!

I began my career as a commercial real estate consultant and appraiser in my father's company in 1976. In 1985, I bought my father's remaining interest in Schmook Appraisal Company.

I have enjoyed the opportunity of building on the past reputation and strong foundation of my father. Since 1985, the company has become known as a solver of unusual real estate problems, and the God given wisdom to solve difficult problems has not been reserved for only the real estate market. I have taught, mentored, and trained students, business people, appraisers, and FGBMF leaders. God has allowed the revelatory gifts of the Holy Spirit to flow through my life and touch many individuals who seem to have problems with no answers.

I have had the opportunity to share my testimony with many. Each time, I am amazed at the number of people who are having trouble with self-confidence and insecurity. As we pray, God sets them free.

The parts of my life where I had the greatest fears and failures have now become areas of opportunity for God to work through me to help others. WOW, isn't God great!

Alan and Patti Schmook

On March 1, 2015, I lost my best friend and partner after a 3 ½ fight with cancer. I am learning how to live in a strange new world after losing my partner of more than 42 years. But again, I have the opportunity to experience God’s ability to solve the impossible, and I am looking forward to what he has planned for my future.